So If We'd Met Oh, In a Dark Alley
by Quiet Lullaby
Summary: And what if they had? Edward and Bella are complete strangers in the small town of Forks. The Cullens moved in a couple years before in the book and Edward has already graduated. But what if fate plays its role and they meet but in a dark alley?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I don't own Twilight obviously. This is my first ever fanfiction. I hope you guys like it. Basically then Cullens moved in two years earlier than in the book so Edward's at college when Bella moves in. Obviously she wasn't killed by Tyler's truck but meh. Enjoy  
**

Edward's Point of View

It is very hard to not feel like a third wheel to my family. Or rather a seventh. I had been studying at Dartmouth this past year while Alice and Jasper took a hand at Yale and Rosalie and Emmett took another honeymoon touring Europe. New Hampshire and Connecticut weren't that far, especially for us, but when I would visit them Alice would usually talk away on the interior design of their dorm suite she's been decorating while Jasper calmly sat there thinking every praise one can think of for the little pixie next him. The bond there, though not as verbal as Rosalie and Emmett's, was overwhelming at times that cutting my visit short was not unusual, much to Alice's disappointment.

But now I was home at Forks for spring break, with Carlisle and Esme and all of my siblings. I care for my family dearly, but they all have life partners. Someone they can be with every second of eternity and I could only feel as a tag along. So I took my Volvo to Port Angeles, with no intent at all. I must have driven through the city twice but when I stopped for the first time for a red light, I felt thirstier than I ever had been since being a newborn. I had hunted last week with my family once we all came home. I shouldn't be _this_ thirsty. The wind was blowing and the windows were only opened slightly. I debated just running the light but there were too many people walking by and too many cars in the road. My throat burned as the scent lingered in my car. I took a right turn into a parking lot. I got out inhaling deeply, slamming the door behind me.

The scent lingered the streets but it was fading. I was walking only slightly faster than a human speed but my mind was whirling into a monster I had thought I locked up. I couldn't stop my feet, and I started to find myself in a dark part of the town. I could hear only a few footsteps, all some distance from each other. "No witnesses,"I muttered under my breath before I could stop the thought from forming. I swore and made myself stop advancing on my unsuspecting prey. I really was a monster, no matter what Carlisle has tried to make us all believe. I stopped my breathing but at this point it was too imbedded in my mind.

One set of footsteps was getting closer. They were light, too light for a male though they were walking with some kind of haste. I held my breath and prayed that she would not turn down the alley street I was in but it seems God has no sympathy for damned souls. She was looking at the ground, as if to make sure she didn't trip over everything. I turned ready to run out but I heard her gasp behind me. I whipped back around making the mistake of inhaling air. As her scent over came me my pose grew rigid and I felt like crying out. Anything to lessen the thirst. She had stopped moving, standing under the only streetlight on the dark street. I could hear her heart pounding erratically, probably out of fear of an unknown man alone in a dark alley-street at night. There was no one else around, not even an alley cat dared to creep out from the shadows.

The burning in my throat grew more intense and I couldn't help but take a step forward. I took a couple of more slowly and before I knew it I was outside the light which the girl stood in. She took no steps backwards, I couldn't figure out why she stood as if frozen. It only then occurred to me her mind was blank, there was not a whisper of her thoughts filling mine. I felt frustration starting to brew inside of me.

Just who was this demon? This angel from hell sent just to torture me!

I took another couple of steps toward her, my mind still torn. _Run! _I wanted to yell at her. Why weren't any of her survival skills working? Instinct should tell her to move, not that it would matter anyway. I could outrun her within a second. But if I could see the fear shown on her face maybe I could control that side of me. Maybe she could be saved. But as light reached my features she gasped and took a step forward. I could read no fear on her face, just some sort of sense of awe. Maybe surprise? Vampires were known to have a beauty to them that attracts humans. Like a cardinal's red feathers attract a mate. However usually their instinct tells them to keep distance, as they very well should. Why wasn't hers kicking in, I cannot tell. Being unable to read her mind was frustrating me enough to almost growling. Confusion swept across her face as I stared intently at her trying to get into her thoughts. Her scent had burst it's way through almost every fragment of self control I clung to, I was barely three steps away now.

"Why won't you run?" I hissed barely audible but I know she heard. I stared into her dark brown eyes as I spoke. They held a warmth I could not take the time to admire. It took her a minute before actually speaking, very quietly, though surprisingly calmly,

"I don't want to," blood pooled into her cheeks and I kept my mouth shut, not breathing. Had I taken another breath, I would have bit her right then and there.

"...You don't want to?" I whispered to make sure I heard right, once I felt a stronger grasp on my control. I felt like laughing in a sense. Here was this girl who felt _safe_ in my presence? The very thing that's a current immense threat to her life? Who was she? Did God wish to punish me? To remind me of the evil I am? "What is your name?"

"Bella Swan," she answered quickly, not sure of the reason for the question.

Swan. The police chief of Forks' last name was Swan. It wasn't an unusual last name however I heard from Esme around winter break about his daughter moving up here to live with him. She's had a record number of visits to Forks hospital, according to Carlisle's thoughts I had read some days ago. What was she, a magnet to danger? Somehow the familiarity of the girl, though not personally, made me gain a few more shreds of self-control.

"Go Bella," I said evenly looking into her eyes, trying to find any scrap of fear. Her face didn't seem to show any though. A flash of anger seemed to rush through her eyes though.

"I'm not afraid of you," she said stubbornly like a child wishing to prove herself. Oh lovely, this girl was completely mental. In my now evident irritation I took a small stone from the side of the road and flung it through two car windows having it smack into the brick wall before tumbling against the sidewalk.

"You should be," I replied coldly. Her eyes widened staring at the car, I smiled at the first reasonable reaction she's shown tonight. However she stared back at me with amazement, not fear. Confusion and curiosity battled within her eyes as self control battled within me. Finally she spoke, her voice cracking,

"What are you?"

"You don't need to know," I whispered, shame lacing my voice. What was I going to do? I showed her my inhuman strength and her blood was calling me every second I stood there. I could run, just leave her in that spot and get to my Volvo. She took a step closer to me, and I took one back. Had I been in a different circumstance, had I been any normal human boy, I would noticed how her dark hair matched her eyes. I would have seen that blue was a lovely color for her. How her blush greatly warmed her pale skin. However the circumstances have brought her to be my prey. Circumstances have made me a monster.

She seemed to have been about to say something but I cut her off staring at her intensely, "Please Bella." I would get down on my knees if I had to. I was not going to destroy what time left my family had here. I couldn't hurt them like that.

"I don't think I know my way back..." her voice trailed off and I shut my eyes. Whether she was from heaven or hell someone had it out for me. I could leave her there. There was nothing that made me unable to just take off. But what if someone else found her here? It wouldn't surprise me if she ran into a serial killer now.

"Follow me," I sighed walking swiftly away from her. She had to run to keep up. It only took two minutes for us to return to my car. When I got in I rolled all the windows completely down despite her shivering from the cold. It was either shiver a little or lose your mortality.

She told me the name of the restaurant her friends were waiting for her. Jessica and Angela. They were underclassmen when I graduated Forks' High School. Jessica had tried to gain my interest but finally took the rejection after a month or so.

"What is your name?" Bella quietly asked next to me. She was fidgeting with her hands.

"Edward."

"Edward what?" I couldn't tell her Cullen. She was bound to connect me to my father and our life in Forks would be threatened.

"Edward Masen," I gave her my former last name. The one I had before I decided to join Carlisle's family. I haven't used it in so long it felt weird to own it. The rest of the drive was in silence. When I pulled next to the place, they seemed to be looking frantically up and down the sidewalks.

"Go to your friends," I said apathetically, waiting for her scent to finally leave my presence.

"Thank you," she whispered, getting out of the car. When she shut the door I rolled the windows back up. I didn't need her friends recognizing me. Once she crossed the street, I took off, a strip of silver streaming through the streets of Port Angeles. I needed to talk to Carlisle. I needed to get back to New Hampshire. I needed to rid my car of this intoxicating scent.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the favorites and reviews I totally didn't think I was going to get any being new. You guys are sweet This is basically chapter one in Bella's point of view. I don't know if I'm going to do every chapter through her eyes also but I thought it was good to do the first one in the very least. It's shorter than Edward's point of view because Bella has a more formed history. I'm trying to keep them close to how Stephenie portrayed them. **

Bella's Point of View

I really seemed to get myself in horrible situations. Angela, Jessica, and I were talking about dance dresses just ten minutes ago and now I'm trying to shake off a bunch of street thugs. Nice going Bella. I had moved to Forks just a little while ago and over all it was a boring town drowning everything in green and rain clouds. But something seemed off about the place, like there was something the mass of mosses and clouds were hiding. Worse part about it is I don't do well with slippery grass or icy sidewalks. I've landed myself in the hospital a few times, Dr. Cullen there is very nice though. He says he might not stay much longer however, he's getting a lot of job offers. Maybe just another year or so.

So I took the first opportunity to get out of Forks to Port Angeles. though I must admit the place isn't much better. However, there are street thugs here apparently and I had the rotten luck of being caught in the darkest part of the town with them. I clutched tightly to my bag trying to look for a way back to normal civilization where people could actually hear me scream.

Looking to see if I could still see the guys following me, I quickened my pace then stumbling from a crack in the sidewalk. Thankfully I caught myself before I fell and caused more damage to my already ruined day. I decided it was smarter to watch where I was going as I turned the corner into a side alley-street. Probably for trucks to get behind the buildings to unload. It was dark so I hurried to get under the only streetlight there so I could finally look up again. But when I did I couldn't help but gasping. Someone was there, farther down the alley. I couldn't see him clearly though I know he turned around towards me. I scanned through my brain for something to do, to move somewhere. To go back would mean a possible run in with the creeps from before. I could try to walk past him as if his presence doesn't concern me. All my thoughts were put on hold however when I saw the shadow of the person walk closer to me. Part of my brain, the logical part maybe, screamed at me run away. Another logical part told me I would trip and not help the situation at all. And the last part, the insane one most likely, told me to wait for him, that I shouldn't fear him. I was as good as dead.

He stopped right outside of the light. I tried to see him, his pose was rigid as if chiseled that way. I gasped again when he came into the light, taking a step towards him as if he called for me. He was inhumanly beautiful, his pale skin rivaled the moon in beauty and his hair was a bronze color, shining now in the light like a new penny. His angular face had sharp features, his hair was untidy, as if he hadn't bothered brushing it, not that it took away from his flawless beauty. I wanted to reach out and touch him, to see if his hair was as soft as it seemed. I couldn't understand his expression though, this look as if he wished me gone or dead.

What had I done? The boy didn't know me from Eve!

"Why won't you run?" he hissed out so quietly that I wasn't even sure I heard it. He looked directly into my eyes and my thoughts seemed to get slightly disoriented. His eyes were a light brownish color that looked close to the shade of honey. However the frustrated look he was giving me hardened them like round topaz gems. Given the time and different situation I would have noticed how odd of a color that was for eyes, however it could have been the lighting. I tried to calm myself, thinking out a coherent sentence before speaking to him.

"I don't want to." I couldn't stop the flush my cheeks gained after the words left my lips. His mouth tightened to a thin line. It was obvious he wasn't pleased with that answer, but why? He wasn't making any rhyme or reason with his actions.

"You don't want to?" He repeated disbelievingly. I didn't blame him, I wasn't quiet sure if I believed it myself. Here I was alone in an alley with only this stranger who looks like he wants to bite my head off. Yeah, safety is what anyone would feel. Even so, I wasn't expecting his next question. "What is your name?"

"Bella Swan."

He took the name with some sort of familiarity though I was quite sure I had never seen him in my life. His flawless face I would have remembered from town or school.

"Go Bella," he said evenly looking into my eyes as if he'd find something there. He spoke condescendingly, as if he's telling a seven year old to go home after they did something disappointing. I hadn't done anything to him! And I wasn't a child, what gave him any right to give orders to me.

"I'm not afraid of you," I tried to say rudely though it just came out like stubborn child. He definitely didn't like my answer this time, anger burned through his eyes. He moved in what seemed faster than humanly possible, and as I tired to register what was happening I heard two small crashes before I finally saw the rock slam into the brick wall. My eyes widened as I saw the two bullet like holes through a car window where the rock had been flung through by the person standing right before me. His voice was colder than it had been all night, "You should be."

How could any human do that? Maybe a steroid-abusing body builder but this guy in front of me? Was he human? I never thought I would be in a situation that I'd have to ask myself that. I don't see how it was physically possible for him to be human though. But then what was he? Bitten by a radioactive spider? My voice cracked as I spoke, "What are you?"

"You don't need to know," he whispered, as if ashamed. His face was distorted now, though he still looked beautiful. Like an angel in pain. The desire to comfort him was so great I took a step forward but he took one back, matching it. I didn't move closer again. I began to form the words to ask him if he was okay but he cut me off.

"Please Bella," he begged. He sounded so desperate, I couldn't refuse him though his eyes were still taking effect on me. I couldn't think of where I was or how to get back.

"I don't think I know my way back..." I whispered, immensely embarrassed. My face was probably crimson as he shut his eyes, like a parent counting to ten before dealing with their troubling child. After a minute or so he opened his eyes, sighing,

"Follow me."

He started walking swiftly down the alley, I had to run to keep up. It was a miracle I hadn't tripped over anything. It only took about a minute to get back to his car, a very nice silver Volvo, which made the theory of batman seem a little more possible. He opened my door letting me in before circling around to his. Once he got in the car he rolled all of the windows down which anyone would think of as odd. Once he started driving the cold hit me quickly and I shivered. His eyes stared intently to the road and I was too afraid to ask him to roll the windows back up. I cursed myself silently for leaving my coat in Jessica's car. I managed to tell him where Jessica and Angela were waiting for me, this small Italian restaurant they wanted to try out. He just nodded. I looked down at my hands, trying to pretend his obvious annoyance wasn't towards me.

"What is your name?" I quietly asked, not looking at him.

"Edward," he said simply. I wanted to know his last name though. To see if I knew anyone related to him in Forks.

"Edward what?" It took him a few seconds to respond to this. I had to question whether the answer he gave was legitimate.

"Edward Masen." He soon after pulled up across the street from the place after the rest of the drive being in silence. I saw my friends looking for me in a slight panic.

"Go to your friends," he said apathetically, I wondered what he was thinking. I was grateful for him, although I wasn't quite sure what he was. Part of me wanted to stay in the car but the look he had on his face made it seem like I had already overstayed my welcome.

"Thank you," I whispered, hoping he'd hear the sincerity in my voice. I scrambled out of the car and saw him roll the windows back up. Once I crossed the street, I heard the soft purr of the car dash ahead through the streets, tail lights shining. Jessica and Angela looked at me with worried expressions, and I felt a small sense of guilt. I could tell I had a lot of questions to answer on the ride home by the look Jessica soon after gave me. I wonder if she caught sight of the angel in the car I was in.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, another chapter is up It's pretty short, I know. I don't know how people actually write such long chapters; it takes me forever just to do these short ones. Anyway, read away and reviews are welcomed. **

**Chapter 2 of Edward's point of view**

Everyone was in the living room by the time I got there, their thoughts fairly quiet and reserved. I figured Alice must have told them. Alice. Did she not see this coming? Could she not have prevented this from happening? I felt anger burning through any sense of calm I had achieved on the ride home. Jasper looked questioningly towards me, debating on calming me down.

_Don't overreact, Edward. _I heard the high-pitched voice of the pixie standing besides him. I growled.

"_Overreact _Alice? I could have killed her! Do you realize what I did? She knows I'm not human! Do you think she'll keep quiet about that? And her dad's the police chief here!" Granted they'd probably deem the girl mad, but if her father believed her enough... I felt guilt rush through me.

"She won't tell anyone," Alice sighed with a matter-of-fact tone she gets when she puts all her faith in her visions, "You didn't tell her the name Cullen, it's near impossible for her to connect it to us."

"You can't be sure she won't though. One moment she can just decide to and you won't be watching all the way over at Yale with Jasper," I spat running a hand through my hair. Emmett didn't speak, his thoughts centered around the times he made slip-ups. He really didn't have a right to demand to stay here or leave. Rosalie seemed to know this and silently comforted him with thoughts lingering to why I just didn't kill her. Of course she would trivialize the matter. I shut my eyes tightly, trying to think clearly. Her scent was just so intoxicating, it was hard to believe she was just mere miles away. I reopened my eyes and stared at Carlisle, "Maybe I should just go to Alaska. You guys can continue here, I'll take my vacations with our friends and-"

"Edward," Esme interrupted me, I couldn't look her in the eyes though. I didn't want to see how this all hurt the only woman I could consider a mother since my own mother's death. Not that I couldn't have a good grasp on it already, thanks to Jasper, "Edward, we're a family. We can't just send you off because of this. This isn't necessary, we only have a year or so left here and you're not even here most of the year. You can just hunt a little more often on your breaks and stay away from the town."

"We can at least try it," Carlisle finally spoke, he didn't want to control me and my decisions, but he did not want Esme to be so upset. She looked like she would be crying if it was possible for us. I hated putting any of us through this. Jasper decided it was time to calm everyone down a notch or two then wrapped his arms around Alice protectively. She was annoyed I put so little faith into her but I didn't understand what she was thinking. She could have told me not to go out tonight. Or to have gone to Seattle instead. I turned to her trying to read through her thoughts.

"What are you not telling me?" Everyone stared at Alice now, she just stared back at me.

"Bella's pretty isn't she?" she asked simply. Then I saw it. Biting her. Her dying body withering in the pain we've all had to experience. Her cold white body with gleaming red eyes. I growled, losing the calm Jasper put over us. I would not damn her to this life just because I wanted her blood. And yet Alice saw it. My sister stayed calm as my hands clenched to keep myself from destroying one of Esme's antiques.

"No," I hissed, "That won't happen."

"This one is fairly definite. I don't see what's wrong about it, you need a companion and she-"

"No!" I cut her off. The others finally caught on, all getting their own thoughts on the matter. Carlisle's thoughts sided slightly with Alice. He wanted to see me happy. To have someone to share eternity with. Esme, too, wanted me to be happy and the thought of another daughter seemed to brighten the family even more to her. I wouldn't allow it. I couldn't do that to her. She had no reason to destroy her life that had so much more to live.

"The Denali clan..." I gave one last hopeless attempt.

_Edward, stay with us, _Esme begged through her thoughts. I sighed, defeated. Alice scoffed, probably still annoyed at my lack of belief. Jasper had sensed something else wrong with me other than my frustration and fear. I knew he picked up on my slight disbelief still plaguing my mind. I answered before he bothered asking,

"I can't read her thoughts," I admitted, never feeling so worthless. All of my family, except Alice, seemed to be put at a slight discomfort because of this. I suddenly felt exhausted. Like I had been playing mind games for the past few days. It was a strange feeling because I couldn't just sleep it off. I suddenly wished I could. That Carlisle could just say we'll talk about it in the morning and we could all just go to bed and sleep. I didn't even have a bed in my room though, so the vision in my head was short lived.

"I'm going out," I sighed, speaking quickly. I didn't bother picking up the coat I had tossed carelessly off when I walk in. It was just for show anyway.

"Edward..." I heard Esme call after me. I didn't turn around though, I just needed to think without thoughts of others surrounding me.

"He's coming back, don't worry," Alice's words faintly reached my ears as I pulled out of the driveway. I turned my music up loudly, not that it could actually drone out either voices for me. I liked to think it could though. I drove carelessly around, not really caring to see where I was. What would a left here, a right there matter anyway? Her scent was still in my car, I cursed myself for not taking Carlisle's. This... this… _girl_ wasn't even allowing me to think properly. I turned the music down, and opened the windows. It was drizzling now but I couldn't care much for it at the moment. And for a few blocks, I could almost forget about Bella Swan and her scent. Almost. Before I could properly process the thought through my head I was in front of the police chief's house, two scents covering it. One much more distinct than the other. I shut my Volvo off, the soft purr died along with Clair de Lune fading away in the background.

I was unsure if I should get out of the car. There were woods here, I could go hunt, avoid the house. Reasoning seemed futile though. I wanted to see her, to make sure this demon wasn't just me going insane. The smell should have been proof enough. In a way it was. I wonder if Alice had seen me here. I wonder if she had still seen me going back to the house. It was late now, for most humans at least. All the lights in Bella's house were off though I could pinpoint which of the windows would bring me inside her room. In a sense I felt sick, though I knew it was all psychological. I sighed deeply before getting out of the car.

I didn't go into her house however. I ran into the woods, tried to find some elk or something to take away this sick feeling. I did find some, though only the concentration of hunting seemed to take it away. I was a few miles from her home when I was sure my eyes must have been a glowing orange from the amount of blood just taken in. Never would I have drank anything so soon after hunting before now. She just wouldn't get out of my head. Her scent, her face, her voice saying she wasn't afraid, I growled unconsciously. It was the most absurd thing to say. Even after showing her my strength, my speed, she still got into a car _alone_ with me.

I suddenly remembered leaving my car in front of her house. What if she had woken up and seen? She would have connected it to me instantly, not too many people around Forks drive cars like that. I ran quickly, even for a vampire. When I had reached the house, I jumped up to where I had decided Bella's room was and opened the window. She was sleeping, which assured me she hadn't woken up to see my car in front of her house. She was restlessly sleeping however. I absently wondered if I had caused her nightmares. Her scent wasn't as bad, now that I expected it but I still kept myself as far away as I could manage. Shelves were lined with books, a rocking chair sat near me and I internally debated on sitting. Sitting would signify I had come to stay and not just check if I had been caught here. But did I want to leave? She mumbled something in her sleep. Something about the rain.

"Edward."

My breathing stopped altogether, and if my heart actually could beat, it would have stopped too. Had she awaken and I not notice it? She sighed then mumbled my name again turning away. I breathed again. So I was in her dreams. I desperately wished I could see what was running through her head, to see if I was being portrayed a the person I had not wanted to show her.

But what should I have cared if I was? Wouldn't it be better if she feared me? There wasn't any good that could come from seeing me any other way. And yet I didn't want her to see me like that at all. I wanted to know her, to see if she's read all the books lining filling the shelves of her room, to know wear she came from, what happened to her mother, what made her so restless, what she was thinking.

I finally figured out the conflict wasn't just over her blood. Maybe at first it was, but the sudden need I felt to protect the one thing I instinctually wanted most overrode that. And I had not even had a proper conversation with her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, it's been what, two years? I got bored so I wrote a short chapter for this. I don't really think it's going to be continued but I thought "eh, why not?" and posted it. Sorry, it really wasn't supposed to exceed the first chapter, I don't really know why I did.**

I left Bella's house soon after. The drizzling began to stop as I pulled into our driveway. My throat ached and burned but it was more subdued compared to before. I was trying to sort out what I was going to do about the matter. Spring break ended in a couple of days and when it did I was expected to be at the other side of the country. Still, I didn't have to go. What was another college degree for me? Just to achieve another medical degree I'd never put into practice. Nevertheless, it felt wrong to stay here because of iher/i. She wasn't currently safe here with me around. Perhaps the couple months apart would do us both good. So when my break came to a close, I returned to New Hampshire and resumed my classes.

It didn't help. I was more than three thousand miles away and still my thoughts lingered about that mere girl. I found myself asking Carlisle about her visits to the hospital when he'd call, amazed at the extent one human can hurt herself. She must have twisted an ankle or sprained a wrist or required stitches every month. It was as if someone out there wanted her dead but could not properly complete the job. Is that why they sent me to meet her? Is that why I had to, no still have to suffer through that cruel twist of fate? I refused to take another trip down to Yale despite Alice's insistence and forbade them from visiting me.

"I don't understand this, Edward," Alice's tongue clicked as she spoke, "It's not like your studying. What possibly can your problem with seeing us? This wouldn't have anything to do with that Bel-"

"Enough Alice!" I interrupted through clenched teeth. She wasn't having that though, She began to speak a mile a minute, chastising me for the way I was dealing with the situation. I overheard Jasper mumbling something to her, far away enough so I wouldn't be able to overhear. Whatever he said caused the pixie girl to give an exasperated sigh, ending her stream of verbal abuse and insults.

"Fine Edward, no visits. But mark my words, locking yourself into a state of solitude will _not_ fix anything," and with that she hung up. I matched her sigh as I ran my free hand through my hair. I was never one not to back Alice. I always stood by what she found to be certain but this was just lunacy. I knew I would have to somehow make up for lashing out on her though. Perhaps a car when we get home. If I decided now though, she would see so I left the possibility up in the air.

The last two months of school flashed through a blur of mundane classes and final exams. Every now and then I would come across a female peer with a similar shade of hair color or height and it would all come crashing back. Her standing there in the alley, her look of awe and curiosity, her blush, her voice as she spoke my name, it all would flash before my eyes as if it were being played out in front of me. Even so, I could not wrap my head around her scent. Perhaps it wasn't as severe as I recalled. She was a just an average human, wasn't she? The only thing that still puzzled me was her mind. Alice was able to see her in visions yet I was unable to see into her thoughts. If only to know what was going on inside her head! I rationalized that it was necessary for the sake of not having to completely rely on Alice to make sure she kept what she knew a secret. I also rationalized that it would help me see her as a person, as my family would tell Jasper when he was feeling a slip on control. I rationalized a thousand reasons of technicalities on why I shouldn't leave her alone, why I should somehow see her again. Yet there was some small human part of me buried away that just simply wanted to see her. And that was nearly enough to frighten the monsters side of me.

When I arrived home for the summer, Alice and Jasper had already been there for a few days. Alice huffed as I entered what could be considered our living room. Jasper, at her right, simply raised his eyebrows, amused. _Buying me back with a car won't work,_ the tiny girl next to him thought pointedly. I rolled my eyes but before I could give a retort, Esme appeared and wrapped her arms around me.

"Edward, you're home!" Esme's motherly love made up for her inherent the lack of physical warmth tenfold. Often when any of us would travel away from her and Carlisle she would fuss over us just as much as human mother ever would.

"I missed you guys too." I returned her embrace but Alice scoffed at my words from her seat on the couch.

"If you missed us so much you should have let us visit," she purposely said aloud, obviously still sour from the phone call. I opened my mouth to give a retort but Esme quickly cut me off, removing herself from the hug,

"Enough, both of you," snapped our mother-figure with authority. We were both about to object but she cut us off again with, "I mean it or I'll have Jasper do it for you." The threat was enough to shut the both of us up. Jasper smiled smugly.

Emmett came bounding down the stairs, gracefully in his own way. We were graceful creatures by nature but Emmett always seemed to be the exception by appearance. "Edward!" He nearly tackled me to the ground in greeting but it was avoided last second due to a certain I held. "Cheater!" he protested as he regained his footing. Rosalie, who stayed on the stairs, rolled her eyes.

Carlisle was working the late shift at the hospital from what I deduced in my family's thoughts. I debated going over there to see him, but decided to wait at the house. There wasn't anything that required speaking to him immediately. Still it was almost maddening to know she was a mere few minutes away from where I stood. She would still be in school, Forks High School ended about a month after most colleges, That was overly tempting for me, to know exactly where she was roughly six hours a day for most of the week. Part of me wondered what she did to make fate want her dead so badly. I was hiding out in my room with conflicting ideas on what to do. I wasn't going to hurt her, the time away cleared any thought of that in my head. Still should I check up on her? Just to see what type of girl she was. I didn't actually have to see her, just hear the thoughts around her. But wouldn't it be better if I try to make any contact with the girl, even if indirectly? I was her biggest threat out there. Carlisle wasn't much help either.

"It's your choice, Edward," he spoke in matter of fact manner while his mind mulled over everything I said, "I just want you to be happy." There was a flash of the memory of Alice telling us about her vision. My jaw tightened.

Y_ou know I wouldn't advise you to hurt her but if three thousand miles can't get your mind off of her..._ Carlisle's thoughts were careful and... unsure? I never knew him to be someone of any uncertainty, he always had the answers we needed. The fact he didn't have much constructive insight made me even more indecisive. What was with this girl, this Bella Swan. I should have hated her. I wanted to hate her. I should have gotten rid of her. But I didn't. I didn't even _know_ her but I couldn't hate her. I sighed loudly.

"Edward," Carlisle finally broke the silence, theoretically anyway. I could still hear several voices around, "Bella is a nice girl, clumsy perhaps, but she's a good person. What you did for her was very honorable." I could tell the sincerity he had for his words through his thoughts. Carlisle's faith gave me a little more reassurance even if nothing was really resolved yet.

"Thanks Carlisle," I said gratefully. He nodded towards me as I walked out. I realized then I shouldn't hate Bella. I shouldn't blame her for what I was, for my new-found obsession with her. None of it was her fault. Still, there was the matter of dealing with it.


End file.
